


like ships on the sea

by Mysana



Series: Harry Potter Short Fics [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Books, Gen, Reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 19:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16561769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysana/pseuds/Mysana
Summary: The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.- Matilda, by Ronald Dahl





	like ships on the sea

Draco Malfoy is nine years old and has just lost access to his broom, at least until Mother can replace the Singing Silver Orchids...which may take a while, given how exceedingly rare they are. Draco knows that it wasn’t _his_ fault the sparrow he was chasing got too close to the garden, but Mother wouldn’t hear it. He gets a quiet rebellion when instead of going to his room as he was told to, he hides in the library.

 

He slips in between looming bookshelves, secure in the knowledge that Mother won’t be able to find him. The library is big enough that Draco has spent an entire day playing Invisible Wizable with Greg and Vincent.

 

Except, Draco finds something he wasn’t looking for. He finds a chest, the inscription written in illegible cursive. It’s so obviously magical that Draco barely manages to without a gleeful shriek- certain this will be just like the books where he’ll find a clue and catch a murderer!

 

The chest lid is heavy and as Draco heaves it open he finds something he should’ve expected. Books. Most of them look like boring adult books _The Alchemist_ is such an unhelpful title he can’t help but laugh. He sorts through them all though, just in case, and find a yellow covered book. _Matilda by Ronald Dahl._

 

With a brief glance at the clean, yet somehow still musty room, Draco shrugs and settles down to read. It’s not like he has anything better to do, not since his toy dragon destroyed most of his bedroom last week. (It wasn’t his fault, how was he to know the fire would reach the curtains?)

 

***

 

Draco realises with dawning realisation that this is a story about a mudblood witch. And it’s a muggle book, in all likelihood. Probably by some stupid mudblood who thought the ministry wouldn’t notice this clear breach of the Statue of Secrecy. And they might be right. Draco listens as Father regularly disparages the Ministry, they never any pay attention to the muggle world unless they absolutely have to. Really, Draco should tell his father so this _Ronald Dahl_ can go to Azkaban like he should.

 

Except, Draco quite likes the idea about knowing something no one else, not even his father knows. So he stays in the library, and keeps reading.

 

***

 

When Draco leaves for Hogwarts, there will be a great many muggle books hidden in his trunk, quite a few secrets in his head, and a good deal of empathy in his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: Hermione Granger definitely read Matilda
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I wrote this on my phone so I’m sorry about the mistakes!


End file.
